THE CHARLES LAMB SOCIETY

The Society was founded on 1 February 1935 at a meeting at Essex Hall on the Strand, but has its roots in an informal dining club, The Elian, that held its inaugural meeting at The Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street on 6 November 1925. Members met regularly throughout the year and a special occasion was made of Lamb’s birthday on 10 February.

Today, the Society has worked to preserve these traditions and to continue the sociable and friendly ethos of its founders. Every year we hold a series of events in London and work to promote the four principal objectives of the Society:

To study the life, works and times of Charles and Mary Lamb and their circle

To stimulate the Elian spirit of friendliness and humour

To publish essays and lectures of interest to Elians

To preserve for the public a collection of Eliana (currently held at Guildhall Library, London)

The Society also publishes The Charles Lamb Bulletin, a highly regarded biannual peer-review journal that prints essays, notes, and queries on the Lambs and their circle.